An Angel Visits Manoah's Wife
By Senior Pastor Dr. Bill Rains | March 10, 2024
Open your Bibles to the Old Testament Book of Judges, chapter 13. This sermon, entitled "An Angel Visits Manoah’s Wife," is the ninth in our series on encounters with angels. Our text spans verses 1 through 21, where we read of God’s promise and instruction. Let’s pray together: Father, thank You for granting us another Lord’s Day. Heal the sick, save the unsaved, and help us learn lessons from this angelic visit to live lives pleasing to You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
In Judges 13, Israel had fallen into evil once again, and God delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. Amid this, a barren woman, the wife of Manoah from the tribe of Dan, receives a visit from an angel of the Lord. The angel declares she will conceive a son—a Nazarite from the womb—who will begin to deliver Israel. This child, later revealed as Samson, comes with instructions: no wine, no strong drink, no unclean food, and no razor to touch his head. Manoah’s question, “How shall we order the child?” (v. 12), frames three vital parenting lessons for us today.
Concentrate on Your Own Spiritual Life
“Drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing” (v. 4). The angel’s first instruction wasn’t about the child but the mother—her lifestyle had to align with God’s call. Pastor Rains emphasizes that parents must order their own spiritual lives first. We can’t show our children how to live righteously if we’re not living it ourselves. He reflects on the heartbreak of babies born addicted to drugs, underscoring that what a mother consumes affects her child. Manoah and his wife were to model holiness, a lesson for us: our spiritual health shapes the next generation.
Dedicate Your Children to God
“The child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death” (v. 7). This dedication wasn’t the child’s choice—newborns can’t choose to serve God—but the parents’. Pastor Rains challenges the modern notion of letting kids decide their faith, calling it “stupid.” He shares how he decided his family would be in God’s house every Sunday, exposing them to gospel hymns and preaching. Dedication isn’t just a ceremony; it’s a lifelong commitment to guide children toward God, trusting He’ll save them when they’re accountable.
Guard Your Children from the World
“Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware” (v. 13). The angel’s instructions extended to both parents, guarding Samson from worldly traps. Pastor Rains stresses protecting kids with “yeas and nays”—saying no to sinful influences like wild parties or alcohol. He cites alarming stats: 46% of kids justify sex with love, 12% have gotten drunk, 5% have attempted suicide—all before 18. Recalling his niece Rhonda, he illustrates lovingly enforcing what’s right, even when it’s tough. Guarding kids under your roof with love and firmness is the biblical way.
